Without new experiences, something inside us sleeps. The sleeper must awaken.
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Every year, the small town right down the road from us, Lititz, holds a Fire and Ice Festival. We went a few years ago and had a great time exploring. This year we loved the new events they advertised, so we made sure to plan a night out there. We’ve been to Lititz a few times now and always have a good time walking around the main street and exploring the local shops. This year we wanted to hit our favorites, get some dinner, and just enjoy the events.
Our night started at Collusion Tap Works for dinner with another couple. I got the chicken pesto sandwich w/fries and could not have been happier. That was one hell of a sandwich and a great way to start our night. Even though the place was packed, we all got our food super quickly and had fun hanging out.
Since we had a little bit of time to spare, we walked around to see the ice sculptures. This was the first year the event lasted two weekends. Since it was so hot the previous week the ice sculptures had to be carved again for the second weekend. The sculptures are never massive, but it is cool to see 2-3ft tall or wide ice creations as you walk around the park and the main drag. There were a ton of them, but I took pictures of my favorites.
One of the events we were most looking forward to was Aaron Bonk’s fire show. Apparently, he holds world records for his fire performances and performs all over the U.S. Since the show was free, we got a condensed 15-minute version of his act. He started out balancing things that were, you guessed it, on fire. Then he swung fire balls around on chains, made music using whips, and ended the show with fire whips. I only had my phone with me, so I apologize for the low-quality super-zoom pictures.
It was definitely neat to watch, but I would’ve loved a longer version. The last few years we always said we wanted more fire events since the festival was usually 99% ice. We absolutely got more fire this year and I loved it.
The night we decided to go happened to be one of the coldest.
After standing outside watching the show, we made our way to the Bulls Head Public House which is one of our favorite places AND the most authentic pub I’ve been in since moving back from England.
I got water, but everyone else got Irish coffee to warm up with.
All in all, it was a really great night out with friends. If you’re ever in Lancaster County during this time of year, the Fire & Ice Festival is definitely one you should try to see. Each year it seems like they try something new with the festival and I’m excited to see how they will improve!
Curious Artifact 